


A Day Like Any Other

by cobalt691



Category: Being Erica
Genre: M/M, Slice of Life, The Joys and Woes of Customer Service
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-01
Updated: 2019-02-01
Packaged: 2019-10-20 05:54:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17616755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cobalt691/pseuds/cobalt691
Summary: "I am so sorry. I seem to be five cents short."Ivan disguised the deep breath he took with a lightly scolding smile as he swiped the coins with one of his hands into the palm of the other."That's the second time this week, young man. You're lucky that I know what it's like to get up at four in the morning and can't bear to let someone get to work without their caffeine.""Thank you. It won't happen again. I promise." Aaron saluted Ivan with his coffee cup when he pushed through the door. "You're the best."





	A Day Like Any Other

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Karios](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Karios/gifts).



"Forty. Forty-five. Fifty. Hold on, I think I still got some change here somewhere."  
  
Ivan tried not to roll his eyes as the young man in front of him started patting the pockets of his coat – his very fine, very expensive coat. The double-breasted suit underneath it was tailored as well if Ivan was any judge. On top of that, he accessorized with diamond studded cufflinks, and his Porsche was parked in the second row, right outside Goblins.  
  
Yet, every time Aaron – was his name Aaron? It might be Eric, Ivan couldn't remember – in any case, every time Aaron came into Goblins, it always played out the same way. While Ivan prepared Aaron's large caramel cappuccino with a heart-bursting eight shots of espresso, Aaron started fishing coins from various pockets of his clothes and counted them out on the counter.  
  
"Oh, there they are. Okay. Sixty. Seventy. Seventy-five. Almost there."  
  
It wasn't that Aaron was short on cash. Ivan had seen him pull a money clip stuffed with several hundred dollar bills from his breast pocket more than once. However, Aaron insisted on paying for his frappuccino in coins, and while Ivan wasn't exactly unhappy that he didn't have to break a hundred at half past five in the morning, it was more than a little annoying that Aaron usually ended up being just a few cents short of the amount he needed.  
  
Today was no exception.  
  
Aaron patted his coat again before he looked up at Ivan with a sheepish expression.  
  
"I am so sorry. I seem to be five cents short."  
  
Ivan disguised the deep breath he took with a lightly scolding smile as he swiped the coins with one of his hands into the palm of the other.  
  
"That's the second time this week, young man. You're lucky that I know what it's like to get up at four in the morning and can't bear to let someone get to work without their caffeine."  
  
"Thank you. It won't happen again. I promise." Aaron saluted Ivan with his coffee cup when he pushed through the door. "You're the best."  
  
"One of these days, someone is going to scratch up his shiny little Porsche, if he keeps blocking half the road," Dave grumbled behind him as Ivan sorted the coins into the register. "And on that day, I am going to throw a party."  
  
"Oh, don't be such a grumpy bear. Ten cents aren't worth a bad review."  
  
"They keep adding up," Dave said while he wiped down the counter next to him. "And it's not as if he can't afford it."

 

* * *

  
  
An hour later, Abby, one of Ivan's favorite customers, entered Goblins, her face breaking into a wide smile as soon as she laid eyes on him and Dave.  
  
"Good morning. How are my two favorite baristas doing on this sunny day?"  
  
Dave came up next to him and mimicked wiping sweat off his brow. "Don't remind me. We're supposed to hit forty degrees again, and the air conditioning broke down yesterday. Mocha Latte, as always?"  
  
"Yes, please." Abby's laugh had her dark curls bouncing around her head.  
  
"How was your vacation? "Ivan asked while he finished an order of three plain black coffees to go.  
  
"It was wonderful. Mountain trails for days and endless blue lakes in between. I am so sorry I missed your wedding, though." She opened her knitted satchel and pulled a square, wooden box out of it. "This is for you. A belated wedding present."  
  
"Abby, you didn't have to. That's so sweet of you."  
  
Abby blushed, but her expression was pleased even as she waved away his thanks.  
  
"Nonsense. I wanted to."  
  
A young woman accidentally jostled her shoulder and mumbled an apology while she moved on to look for an empty table.  
  
The doorbell chimed again. Once six o'clock had rolled around, a steady flood of customers had kept him and Dave busy filling orders. The tables were packed with early birds who preferred to eat out for breakfast, and clubbers who were trying to come down from a night of dancing by sipping on a cup of decaf and joking with their friends.  
  
"Busy as always," Abby laughed. "Do me a favor and wait until you get home before you open that."  
  
She took the Mocha Latte Dave proffered and put a five dollar bill on the table. Beside her, two more people crowded into the space the last customer had left behind.  
  
"Keep the change. Have a great day."

"You, too, Abby. And thank you again. See you tomorrow."  


 

* * *

  
  
"There you go. One Latte Macchiato with chocolate sprinkles and a single shot of espresso for the lady, and one large cafe au lait with cinnamon for the gentleman."  
  
Dave pushed the first cup across the counter before taking two steps to the next customer and doing the same with the second beverage.  
  
The man's mustache twitched as he gave Dave a bemused look, but it was the middle-aged black woman in the crispy white business suit who spoke up first.  
  
"It's the other way around, actually. I ordered the café au lait."  
  
"And the Macchiato is for me," the man added. "And not to be a dick about it – pardon me, ma'am," he added with an apologetic look at the woman next to him," but this is the third time in the past two weeks that you mixed up our orders."  
  
"I am so sorry," Dave replied with a studied air of sincerity. "I think I keep mixing them up because my own favorite drink is a cinnamon latte with chocolate sprinkles, and your orders just keep mashing together in my head. I'll make sure that it won't happen again."  
  
Behind him, Ivan crossed his arms and tried to keep a straight face as the scene unfolded.  
  
"It's not a big deal," the woman replied. She offered the drink Dave had given her to the man with the mustache. "We can just switch."  
  
The man smiled back at her. "Of course."  
  
They exchanged their drinks and started heading for the door.  
  
"Personally, I think it's funny that it seems to be only our drinks that he keeps mixing up," the woman said.  
  
"Well, I suppose with the hundreds of coffees they make every day, it can get a little confusing."  
  
"It probably doesn't help that we always come here at the same time, splitting his favorite drink into separate orders."  
  
The man laughed quietly. "Probably not." He held out his hand. "I'm Darren, by the way."  
  
She shook it and smiled. "Adele."  
  
"Subtle," Ivan murmured into Dave's ear.  
  
Dave didn't bother turning around. "I have no idea what you're talking about."  
  
"May I remind you that this is a coffee shop and not a singles bar."  
  
Dave reached beneath the counter and pulled out a fresh stack of lids for the extra large cups. "I really don't know what–"  
  
"You drink your coffee black with one sugar, and if I ever put a cup of anything cinnamon-flavored in front of you, you'd file for divorce." He poked Dave's side, hitting his ticklish spot with practiced accuracy.  
  
Dave squirmed out of his way. "Careful. Assault in the workplace might not be as bad as cinnamon-flavored coffee, but it's still grounds for a divorce."  
  
Ivan smiled down at him and tried not to let on how completely besotted he was with his husband. "You old romantic, you."

  


* * *

  
  
At two in the afternoon, shortly before Dave and Ivan handed over the reins to their employees for the rest of the day, Aaron rushed through the door again.  
  
"Caramel cappuccino, please. Extra large, but only four shots this time."  
  
One extra large coming up," Ivan replied with a bemused expression while he picked a cup from the stack next to the coffee machine. "I don't think I remember ever seeing you come in twice a day. Going home early?"  
  
"No. I just had a really great morning and decided to treat myself." The smile on Aaron's face stretched nearly from ear to ear, giving his already youthful face the appearance of someone who hadn't yet graduated high school.  
  
"Well, in that case... enjoy." Ivan pushed the cup across the counter and blinked in surprise at the ten dollar bill Aaron handed him.  
  
He was still deliberating whether or not he should add this morning's five cents to the total when Aaron snatched up his cup and said his goodbyes with another salute. It was executed with so much enthusiasm that some of the coffee sloshed through the drinking hole in the lid onto his hand, but Aaron merely shook it off with a laugh.  
  
"Keep the change. I want to spread the cheer."  
  
"Have a good day," Ivan called after him, purely out of habit.  
  
Dave opened the register. "That's nearly a two dollar tip," he said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "I think that almost covers what he owes us this month."  


 

* * *

  
  
"Oh, look at this. It's a set of goblin pendants."  
  
Ivan handed the wooden box over to his husband, who'd thrown himself onto the couch the minute they'd gotten home. It was not unusual for him. Dave always needed half an hour of quiet time to get out of "customer service mode," as he called it.  
  
Lifting the arm he'd thrown across his eyes, Dave took a closer look at Abby's wedding gift. The box was lined with dark green velvet, and just like Abby's knitted satchel, Dave had no doubt that she herself had crafted the gold pendants that rested on the lush fabric. They were a perfect replica of their coffee shop's logo, though the cups the goblins were holding in their hands interlocked when put next to each other.  
  
"Hold on to this for a minute, will you? I think I have a couple of necklaces thin enough to fit through the eyelets." Before Dave could say anything, Ivan had disappeared into their bedroom.  
  
He was back within minutes. "I only have silver ones left, but we can buy new ones," he said, while Dave made room for him on the couch.  
  
"It's a very thoughtful gift," Dave said, feeling genuinely touched by Abby's gesture.  
  
He turned his back to Ivan, so his husband could fasten the clasp of the necklace at the nape of his neck. His hand automatically came up to touch the pendant where it came to rest above his heart.  
  
Ivan pressed a kiss to his ear and rested his chin on Dave's shoulder. "My little goblin," he teased.  
  
Dave elbowed him. "Stop that. You know I don't like pet names."  
  
"Is that right?" Ivan asked. His hands wandered from Dave's sides down to his thighs. "You sure there isn't any way I can convince you otherwise?"  
  
Craning his neck, Dave looked back at him. A smile tugged at the edges of his lips. "You can try."

 


End file.
